The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban on poultry and bird products from Ohio, USA, initially imposed in January 2024 due to concerns over Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order No. 23 on June 7, 2024, officially ending the ban. This decision followed a report from the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), submitted to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), which confirmed that Ohio had successfully contained the avian flu and reported no new outbreaks since April 2, 2024.
The ban had covered all domestic and wild birds, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen originating from Ohio. With the situation now under control, the Philippines is resuming trade in these products from the state.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the DA imposed a new ban on imports of birds and poultry products from Australia due to an alleged bird flu outbreak in several Australian states. This ban includes wild and domestic birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen. Australia had been the Philippines’ fourth-largest source of imported chicken meat, contributing 4 percent of the country’s total chicken imports.
